ESPN launched today its new direct-to-consumer streaming service and a set of new features on an enhanced ESPN App, making ESPN’s full suite of 12 networks and services available directly to fans for the first time ever.

Branded as “ESPN Unlimited,” monthly subscriptions go for $29.99 per month or $299.99 annually. The sports network’s first digital service, “ESPN+” is being rebranded as “ESPN Select,” and remains at $11.99 per month or $119.99 per year. Customers can also bundle ESPN’s “Unlimited” service with Disney+ and Hulu (both with ads) for $29.99 per month for the first 12 months.

Channels on the new service include:

• ESPN, the main channel
• ABC, specifically any ESPN sports production airing on the flagship broadcaster
• ESPN2, the secondary channel
• ESPN3, digital-only games
• ESPN+, digital-only games
• ESPNU for college sports
• ESPNEWS for simulcasts, reruns and event overflow
• ESPN Deportes for Spanish-language programming
• SEC Network for the Southeastern Conference
• SEC Network+, digital-only
• ACC Network for the Atlantic Coast Conference
• ACCNX, digital-only

Cable subscribers who want to watch the new service can enter their credentials into the updated ESPN app. ESPN currently has agreements with the following pay-TV providers:

• Fubo
• Charter
• DirecTV
• Hulu
• Verizon

“This is a monumental day for all of us at ESPN, for The Walt Disney Company and, most importantly, for our fans,” said Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman, ESPN. “ESPN DTC and the ESPN App are a powerful combination marking a major turning point in how we serve sports fans – anytime, anywhere – for years to come. We’ve put a lot of hard work into this launch, with the full force of ESPN and Disney behind it, and we can’t wait for fans to experience all of ESPN in the ESPN App. The best part is, we’re just getting started. What we’re launching today will evolve with regular enhancements over time. As we have since 1979, we’ll continue to listen, adapt and innovate, with sports fans at the center of everything we do. There is no finish line.”

In addition to ESPN DTC, the enhanced ESPN App is introducing an expansive set of new features and functionality including a personalized SportsCenter For You, a vertical video carousel (currently in beta) for mobile devices, a synchronized two-screen experience for live games, and multiview options for connected TV devices.

Fans will also be able to get integrated live game stats, real-time ESPN Fantasy stats and results, live ESPN BET information, personalized in-game commerce, and more. All of these new features are available to all fans who subscribe to ESPN, whether through a traditional pay TV package or directly with an ESPN DTC subscription.

In an extensive interview on CNBC this morning, Disney President Bob Iger and Pitaro discussed the type of audience ESPN is targeting.

"The marketing is focusing on people that are on the sidelines, people who have cut the cord are people who have never subscribed in the first place,” Pitaro said. This is a really important point—we are adding value to the traditional ecosystem, the pay TV ecosystem, as a part of today's announcements."

"And what I mean by that is, if you are a subscriber to traditional paid television, whether it's charter or Comcast or direct TV, you will, through authentication within the ESPN app, get access to all of our new features and function, which is a ton of for the sports fan and a ton of value for our partners.”

Iger stressed that in launching a DTC app, ESPN is not ignoring its traditional pay-TV partners and that he doesn’t yet know what its impact will be.

“We manage our television assets as one business, not as individual businesses, meaning we don't manage linear in the linear business and the digital business separately, we manage it as one,” he said. “It's one group of executives. It's essentially one bottom line, because we want to be agnostic when it comes to how people watch or consume our product.”

Iger also pointed out that Disney is not backing away from the traditional linear TV model, which is falling out of favor with viewers who prefer on-demand.

“A number of other companies are exiting their linear business completely, meaning they're selling off the channels that serve the linear television ecosystem,” Iger said. “We're doing the opposite actually. We're combining them, which gives us the ability to aggregate both subscription fees and advertising on both sides, and essentially end up with a business that's actually larger and more impactful than it would be if we were to separate them completely.”

Initial reactions to the launch have revolved around customers being aware of all of their options in what is becoming an increasingly crowded DTC market or its programming decisions.

CHARLESTON, Ill.–For the last 15 years, I’ve worked as a broadcast engineer for WEIU Television and Radio, the PBS-affiliated broadcasting stations at Eastern Illinois University (EIU). This means I do everything from transmitter maintenance and desktop computer support, to streaming live events (like commencements), to supporting newsroom operations. Additionally, I provide engineering support for the sports television broadcasts produced by the EIU Athletic Department for ESPN+.

When ESPN began working with the athletic department, they wanted EIU to provide live coverage which included the university’s soccer, baseball, and softball teams. Most of these games take place on fields that are on the edge of the main campus, and campus Wi-Fi coverage in that area was spotty at best. 

Cheaper than Fiber 
We initially proposed to run fiber-optic cables across the campus to the playing fields, but after examining the cost of installing fiber, it was clear that this wasn’t within our budget. We then examined wireless IP, but this would require students to aim antennas and still require the addition of long cable runs at the receive site. Finally, we decided that the best option would be using cellular—half of the cell towers in our county are located on EIU’s campus, so we’ve got the benefit of a reliable data network. 

I looked into various wireless IP video platforms, and Comrex’s LiveShot was the clear choice for us. Because we’re eligible for a reduced-cost data package through the state of Illinois, it’s a massive plus to not have to subscribe through an equipment manufacturer. The complete LiveShot system was 20% of the cost of running fiber to the playing fields, and it was a plus that we would own the equipment outright. Additionally, because we have a Comrex ACCESS NX audio codec for our radio station, I knew that Comrex equipment and customer support were reliable.

We use a remote truck for our broadcasts, so I built up a mount for our LiveShot portable unit in our equipment racks, where it’s easy for students to access. Since all of ESPN+ sports programming is student-run, everything we use needs to be intuitive, so that our students can learn the ropes.  

It’s been very easy to teach them how to use it. I pre-configure the equipment so that once the students are in the field, they can just push a button to get connected. I’m able to show them the interface, and they generally don’t struggle to understand it. Plus, LiveShot comes with the “LiveShot Control” smartphone app which allows me to check on the unit configuration from my phone and make adjustments as needed without needing to be in the field with them. If a student calls me in a panic, I’m able to identify the problem and walk them through it immediately. 

Rock Solid
With LiveShot, we’ve also benefited from the reliable quality it provides. We use CrossLock, the network management tool that’s included with LiveShot. We use just two modems, and once they’re connected, it’s rock solid. Per ESPN+ standards, we broadcast in 720p, and we’ve never had an issue with the connection breaking up. Plus, the video quality is excellent.

I’ve used Comrex equipment in one form or another since 1980. Without a doubt, Comrex has met our needs on every occasion, both in radio and in television. LiveShot is an incredibly well thought-out device that comes with a great price, solid reliability, and excellent support. There’s a lot of competition out there, but I’m always eager to choose Comrex when the need arises.

More information is available at www.comrex.com.

ESPN has announced that NHL action will return to ESPN+ on Saturday, September 23, beginning more than 30 live National Hockey League preseason, out-of-market games.

Opening the NHL preseason – and available to all ESPN+ subscribers without blackouts – the Arizona Coyotes and Los Angeles Kings are set to face off in the 2023 NHL Global Series Melbourne at Rod Laver Arena on Saturday, Sept. 23 and Sunday, Sept. 24. Both games will start at 12:05 a.m. ET and mark the first-ever NHL games played in the Southern Hemisphere.

The full preseason schedule is available here. 

The regular season begins in North America on Tuesday, October 10, in a tripleheader Face-Off on ESPN and ESPN+. 

The Nashville Predators begin the season hosted by the Tampa Bay Lightning, followed by the highly anticipated debut of 2023 number-one draft pick Connor Bedard in the Chicago Blackhawks’ season opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The evening closes out with the Seattle Kraken facing off against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Vegas Golden Knights.

IRVINE, Calif.—Vizio has announced the ESPN App, including ESPN+,  the No. 1 U.S. sports streaming platform, is now available to millions of Vizio users on its Smart TV. 

With the ESPN App and ESPN+, fans can experience over 27,000 live sports events, replays, original shows, and ESPN exclusives from ESPN networks, Vizio reported.

This launch also allows users to subscribe to and access the Disney Bundle Trio, which includes access to Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+. This bundle offers one of the largest streaming collections of entertainment, news, and sports content from top brands and franchises – with over 100,000 movie titles, TV episodes, originals and sports events.

"With our expanded relationship with Disney, Vizio audiences can now enjoy the ESPN app, ESPN+, and the Disney Bundle Trio, offering a wide selection of live sports and entertainment," said Chris Tanquary, senior director of business development at Vizio. “ESPN has helped revolutionize sports storytelling, and we’re excited to bring live sports from the best leagues and biggest tournaments as well as their ground-breaking originals to Vizio’s millions of users." 

The ESPN App is accessible from the apps catalog on the Vizio Home Screen and provides access to ESPN+, the No. 1 U.S. sports streaming platform. Fans can also live stream ESPN’s networks including ESPN2, ESPN3 and more through an affiliated video provider login. 

With the ESPN app, Vizio users can sign up for ESPN+ streaming service for $9.99 per month or save with an annual subscription of $99.99.

The ESPN App is also featured on Vizio’s custom-curated Football Kickoff collection for the 2023 pro and college season. 

LOS ANGELES—In an interview with CNBC, Disney CEO Bob Iger noted that he was open to selling the streaming service Hulu, saying that “[e]verything is on the table right now, so I am not going to speculate whether we are a buyer or a seller of it. But I obviously have suggested that I’m concerned about undifferentiated general entertainment, particularly in the competitive landscape that we are operating in, and we are going to look at it very objectively and expansively.”

Disney has to either buy out Comcast’s one third stake or sell its stake to Comcast by 2024. 

It is currently facing pressure from Wall Street to make its streaming business profitable. In its quarterly earnings call this week, Iger announced plans to cut costs by $5.5 billion dollars and ax 7,000 jobs as part of a larger restructuring. 

"We are targeting $5.5 billion of cost savings across the company," Iger said. "First, reductions to our non-content costs will total roughly $2.5 billion not adjusted for inflation. $1 billion in savings is already underway....But in general, the savings will come from reductions in SG&A and other operating costs across the company. To help achieve this, we will be reducing our workforce by approximately 7,000 jobs. While this is necessary to address the challenges we are facing today, I do not make this decision lightly. I have enormous respect and appreciation for the talent and dedication of our employees worldwide and I am mindful of the personal impact of these changes. On the content side, we expect to deliver approximately $3 billion in savings over the next few years, excluding sports."

Most analysts had expected Disney to buyout Comcast but the pressure to cut costs and reduce debt may give Comcast an opening. 

Comcast chairman and CEO Brian Roberts said in Sept. that it would like to buy Hulu, calling it a "phenomenal" business. 

In its earnings report for Q1 of its 2023 fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2022, Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer revenues increased 13% to $5.3 billion and operating loss increased $0.5 billion to $1.1 billion. The increase in operating loss was due to a higher loss at Disney+ and a decrease in results at Hulu, partially offset by improved results at ESPN+, Disney said. 

Disney+ subs in the U.S. and Canada were virtually flat, rising from 46.4 million in October 1, 2022 to 46.6 million at the end of Dec. 31, 2022 while total Disney+ subs globally declined from 164.2 million to 161.8 million.

Hulu’s subs grew slightly from 47.2 million to 48 million, including its virtual pay TV service Hulu+ Live TV, which had 4.5 million subs.

ESPN+ also saw slow growth from 24.3 million to 24.9 million

BRISTOL, Conn.—As streaming services work to bulk up their high profile sports offerings, ESPN+ has announced that it will have a record amount of NFL content this year, including its first exclusive NFL matchup on Oct. 30.

Overall, ESPN+ will stream nine live games, including the exclusive game on Oct. 30 and eight game simulcasts. 

Live NFL games on ESPN+ will include exclusive coverage of the Week 8 matchup between the Denver Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars at London’s Wembley Stadium on Sunday, October 30, at 9:30 a.m. ET.

ESPN+ will also stream simulcasts of Monday Night Football games for the first three weeks of the season, as well as weeks 15 and 17.

Two Saturday games in Week 18 and the Wild Card Monday playoff game will also be available to stream on ESPN+.

When the Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli returns for this season, the show will stream live on ESPN+ in Weeks 1, 3 and 15, as well as the Wild Card Monday playoff game.

The full schedule is available here. 

BRISTOL, Conn.—Stand-alone subscribers for ESPN+ streaming service are in for a big price hike on August 23, when ESPN will be instituting a $3 price hike of 43% from $6.99 to $9.99.

This is the largest price hike for the service to date. ESPN had increased prices by $1 in 2020 and again by another $1 in 2021. 

However the Disney bundle, which includes ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu will not increase and will remain at $13.99 a month. 

The increase reflects both the increasing cost of sports rights, new content coming to the streaming service and Disney’s ongoing strategy of encouraging people to sign up for its bundle. 

NEW YORK—The XFL has announced a new, global multi-year agreement with The Walt Disney Company and ESPN, which includes exclusive broadcast rights for all gameday content, tentpole events and more, for its upcoming 2023 season through 2027. Each season, all 43 games (40 regular season games, two playoffs, one championship) will be featured on a combination of ABC, ESPN networks and FX. Additionally, the agreement includes exclusive content rights across TWDC and ESPN’s digital, social and direct-to-consumer outlets such as ESPN+. The XFL is excited to officially announce its 2023 season will kick off on Saturday, February 18, 2023.                                                                           

The announcement was revealed at the Disney Upfront, where XFL owners Dany Garcia and Dwayne Johnson were in attendance and presented the news.

“Without question, we have long admired Disney’s distinct ability to engage an expansive consumer fanbase across verticals, while also maintaining a deeply authentic, nuanced and heartfelt approach to storytelling much like our own,” said Dany Garcia, Chairwoman of the XFL. “To find a partner that honors our foundation and to be able to root our vision of unwavering passion, accessibility and the future of football with Disney as our home, is a dream come true. We are extraordinarily excited to explore the endless possibilities of this partnership – today is surely just the beginning.”

The XFL has had numerous lives, first as a collaboration between the WWE and NBC in 2001, which lasted only one season. It was revived by the WWE in 2020 but was shut down shortly after it began because of Covid. After declaring bankruptcy, it was acquired by Johnson and business partner Danny Garcia and RedBird Capital in August 2020. 

The league will also be competing with the USFL, the second, much-revived spring alternate to the NFL (if it survives its inaugural season). The USFL—which is broadcast on NBC and Fox—has struggled in the ratings during its first five weeks, mainly due to competition from NBA playoffs, however ratings have recently upticked, with viewership exceeding 1 million during several matchups. 

Nevertheless, Disney and the XFL expressed optimism over its most recent reincarnation.

“The XFL will tap into sports fans’ deep love of football by emphasizing competitive action while dedicating itself to innovation and entertainment,” said Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman, ESPN and Sports Content. “You can see a great path to success when you combine the reach and influence of ESPN and Disney with the collective vision of XFL leadership led by Dany, Dwayne and Gerry.”

Dwayne Johnson added, “This is a definitive moment for the XFL and the beginning of an incredible, long-term partnership for the league, building on my longstanding, very successful legacy relationship I’ve had with Disney throughout my career. We’re excited to be working with global visionaries that are aligned with the XFL’s values, are true team players and share our ambitious goals to grow the XFL as a global sports and entertainment business. Through the combined power of Disney, ESPN and the XFL, together we will create a new powerhouse on the sports calendar and bring a dynamic game of football to fans everywhere. Time to ball out.”

Gerry Cardinale said, “With today’s announcement, the XFL has launched a truly innovative partnership with The Walt Disney Company and its world-class platforms across media, culture, sports and entertainment.  It is a privilege to join forces with the incredibly talented team at Disney and ESPN and bring Dany and Dwayne’s vision for world-class football and live event entertainment to our fans and players.”

BURBANK, Calif.—Disney’s results for the second fiscal quarter ending April 2, 2022 showed there is still a lot of growth in the streaming business, with Disney+ adding 7.9 million subs from a year earlier and the company as a whole hitting 205 million direct-to-consumer subs. 

Disney+ ended the quarter with 44.4 million subs in the U.S. and Canada, up 19% from 37.3 million in 2021 and 137.7 million subs worldwide, up 33% from a year earlier.

ESPN+ also saw significant growth, hitting 22.3 million subs in the quarter, up 62% from the same quarter in 2021.

Hulu’s SVOD service ended the quarter up 10% to 41.4 million while its Hulu Live TV + SVOD service grew 8% to 4.1 million. 

Direct-to-Consumer revenues for the quarter increased 23% to $4.9 billion, but operating losses increased $0.6 billion to $0.9 billion as programming costs continued to rise. 

“Our strong results in the second quarter, including fantastic performance at our domestic parks and continued growth of our streaming services—with 7.9 million Disney+ subscribers added in the quarter and total subscriptions across all our DTC offerings exceeding 205 million—once again proved that we are in a league of our own,” said Bob Chapek, CEO of The Walt Disney Company. “As we look ahead to Disney’s second century, I am confident we will continue to transform entertainment by combining extraordinary storytelling with innovative technology to create an even larger, more connected, and magical Disney universe for families and fans around the world.”

The bigger losses at Disney+ reflected higher programming and production, marketing and technology costs, partially offset by an increase in subscription revenue, the company said. 

Meanwhile, higher sports programming costs and a decrease in income from Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) pay-per-view events, partially offset by an increase in subscription revenue due to subscriber growth produced larger losses at ESPN+.

Hulu also saw higher programming and production, marketing and technology costs, partially offset by subscription revenue growth and higher advertising revenue. 

 BRISTOL, Conn.—ESPN+ is taking advantage of the personalization features available on streaming media for its coverage of the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play from Austin Country Club in Austin, Texas. 

Starting on March 23, the PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ will stream four-feed coverage of the action, which features a unique match play format that includes 64 of the top 69 players in the world divided into 16 four-player groups. During the first three rounds Wednesday through Friday, players in each group will play 18-hole matches against each other to determine the 16 players who advance to the weekend’s single elimination rounds.

The four feeds available on PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ include:

• Main Feed – The primary tournament coverage stream, showcasing the best action from across the course, with two dedicated booth announcers, a dedicated walking announcer and coverage drawn from all cameras at the event.
• Marquee Group – Every shot from each player in the group, with two booth announcers and one walking announcer calling the action.
• Featured Holes – Exclusive coverage of key par 3 holes and the course’s iconic, signature holes.
• Featured Groups – Traditional PGA Tour Live coverage following two concurrent featured groups, with two booth announcers and one walking announcer.

A Main Feed and the Marquee Match feed will start at 10:15 a.m. ET on March 23, followed by Featured Matches at 10:30 a.m. ET, and Featured Holes coverage 10:45 a.m. ET. The Featured Holes feed will cover the par-3 Nos. 4, 7 and 11, along with the par-4 13th on the Pete Dye-designed course.

BRISTOL, Conn.—In a notable example of the growing amount of high profile sports content available on streaming services, ESPN+ has announced that it will be offering more college football games than ever before with a streaming schedule of more than 500 games. 

The streaming schedule will feature teams from FBS conferences like the SEC and Big 12, The American, C-USA, MAC, and Sun Belt, and FCS schools from the Big Sky, MVFC, Patriot League, SIAC, MEAC and SWAC. 

This fall will also be the first time that ESPN+ will feature SEC games. which will also be simulcast on SECN+.

In addition, the ESPN+ streaming schedule will feature more Big 12 games than ever before and a variety of top teams, the Disney-owned streaming service reported. 

BRISTOL, Conn.—ESPN+ will be increasing the standalone price for the streaming service by $1 a month to $6.99 and raising the annual fee by $10 to $69.99 on August 13, according to the website for ESPN+.

For existing subscribers, the increases will take hold on the first bill on or after August 13. 

The move comes at a time when sports rights continue to rise and analysts are expecting streaming services to increase their subscription rates to recoup hefty investments in original programming. 

The increase may make the bundle with Disney+, the ad-supported Hulu offering and ESPN+ more attractive as that is still priced at $13.99. 

BRISTOL, Conn.—ESPN and Major League Baseball are continuing their broadcast relationship with a new deal, which will include the new right to simulcast games on its ESPN+ service.

ESPN, its parent company The Walt Disney Company and MLB have come to terms on a seven-year extension to its exclusive, marquee broadcast schedule. The new deal will begin in 2022 and go through 2028.

With the deal, ESPN will exclusively televise 30 regular season games each year, including 25 editions of “Sunday Night Baseball,” the national MLB game of the week and the MLB Little League Classic. ESPN will also have the exclusive rights to five additional games each season, including the national Opening Night telecast. The Home Run Derby will also continue to air exclusively on ESPN.

New to the deal is the right for ESPN to produce alternative presentations of the broadcasts across its platforms and simulcast all ESPN and ABC game telecasts on ESPN+. The deal also enables ESPN+ to host new MLB content, including studio and highlight-driven programming. The streaming service will also maintain the right to broadcast a MLB game nearly every day, subject to local blackout restrictions.

In addition to the regular season, the extension will make ESPN the exclusive home for the entire MLB Wild Card Series, if the event expands. If the current Wild Card format remains, then ESPN will continue to exclusively televise one of the two Wild Card Games, as well as receive eight additional exclusive regular season game telecasts each year.

Additional components of the deal include increased highlight rights for all of ESPN’s news and information platforms, as well as digital MLB shows. ESPN will also have the right to nationally televise up to 10 Spring Training games each year.

ESPN has carried MLB games since 1990.

“ESPN’s long-standing relationship with Major League Baseball has been a driver of innovation for three decades,” said James Pitaro, chairman, ESPN and Sports Content. “This agreement solidifies Baseball’s ubiquitous presence across ESPN platforms, including ESPN+. The impactful collection of exclusive content, including Sunday Night Baseball which has served as the signature MLB series for more than 30 years, will be amplified by the surrounding rights we have to make these live events even bigger. We thank Commissioner Manfred and the MLB ownership group for their partnership and commitment as we collectively uncover new ways to serve fans.” 

MLB is the latest of the major professional sports league to net a new broadcast rights package. The NFL announced its new massive deal in March, while the NHL found two new broadcast homes, including ESPN, in April. All of the new deals include streaming in some capacity.

BURBANK, Calif.—Disney+ has been a force of nature since it arrived one year ago, having amassed 86.8 million subscribers as of Dec. 2, according to the latest numbers from The Walt Disney Company. Upon its release in November 2019, Disney’s stated highest expectations was that Disney+ would reach 90 million subscribers by 2024.

The updated figures came from Disney’s 2020 Investor Day, which in addition to unveiling subscriber numbers for Disney+ and its other streaming platforms (Hulu and ESPN+), the company announced future strategies based around its streaming services, which are becoming a central figure in the company’s strategy.

In addition to Disney+’s 86.8 million subscribers, Disney reported that Hulu now has 38.8 million subscribers and ESPN+ has 11.5 million subscribers. This brings the total number of people subscribing to Disney-owned streaming services to 137 million. As Disney plans to boost its content output on streaming services, it now expects that by 2024 its streaming services will have 300-350 million total subscribers.

Beyond the numbers, Disney announced that it will be raising the price of Disney+ by $1 come March 26, 2021. At that point, the service will cost $7.99 per month, or $79.99 per year. The Disney Bundle, which packages Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+, will be $13.99 per month.

Disney also announced a new agreement with Comcast that will bring Disney+ and ESPN+ to Comcast X1 set-top boxes and Flex platforms in the first quarter of 2021. Hulu customers will also now be able to subscribe to ESPN+ within the Hulu user interface and access ESPN+ content there as of early 2021, the company added.

In addition, Disney announced a new international general entertainment content brand, Star. Star will be included as part of Disney+ in some international markets and offered as a separate streaming service in Latin America, known as Star+. Star will host content from Disney Television Studios, FX, 20th Century Studios, 20th Television, as well as local programming where available.

As part of its strategy to continue to grow the Disney+ brand, Disney announced a slew of news about upcoming content. The company announced that it will offer 10 new “Star Wars,” 10 new Marvel and 15 Disney live action, Disney animation and Pixar series to the streamer. There will also be 15 live action, Disney animation and Pixar movies released on the platform as well.

Another strategy that was revealed during the Investor Day was what Disney would do with its 2021 slate of films following the news that Warner Bros. plans to release its 2021 films on HBO Max the same day as theatrical at no additional cost to subscribers. Disney has not taken such a bold step. While some titles were moved exclusively to streaming (live-action “Pinocchio” and “Peter Pan and Wendy” movies) the studio’s upcoming animated movie “Raya and the Last Dragon” will be released the same day on Disney+ as in theaters, but for a $30 premium price on top of monthly subscription fees; this is the same strategy Disney took with “Mulan” over the summer. Other major Disney movies, like "Black Widow," are still scheduled to play exclusively in theaters.

For more information and news from Disney’s 2020 Investor Day, visit The Walt Disney Company website. 

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla.—PGA Tour broadcasts are staying right where they are, as the professional golf organization announced that it has reached a nine-year domestic media rights portfolio for 2022-2030 that will have CBS and NBC continue to serve as the TV home of golf. However, one new wrinkle is that streaming rights for the PGA has been granted to Disney’s ESPN+ service.

As part of the deal, CBS and NBC will maintain weekend coverage of most FedEx Cup tournaments; CBS will handle an average of 19 per season, NBC eight. It was also announced that the two networks will alternate each year who hosts the entire three-tournament FedEx Cup Playoffs (NBC will start in 2022).

NBC Sports Group will also continue as the tour’s cable partner, with the Golf Channel providing early-round and early weekend coverage.

A new aspect of the deal with CBS and NBC is that the PGA Tour will now assume responsibility of the onsite production area and technical infrastructure at each tournament. This will help in the tour’s ability to aggregate, distribute and develop content for various platforms. CBS and NBC will still use their own production and announcing teams.

When it comes to streaming, the PGA Tour has struck a deal with Disney’s ESPN+ streaming service. The tour’s subscription video service, PGA Tour Live, will now exclusively be available via ESPN+ starting in 2022. PGA Tour Live, in addition to its thousands of hours of annual coverage of tournaments, plans to expand its live content channels.

In addition, the PGA Tour also expanded the U.S. media deal for the LPGA Tour. The LPGA Tour will have a similar nine-year deal (2022-2030) for its tournaments to air on the Golf Channel, but the deal also details expanded exposure for LPGA Tour events on CBS and NBC each year.

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

WOODBURY, N.Y.—Southeast Missouri State University has upgraded its cameras to stream Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) sports and other TV productions with the purchase of four Hitachi Z-HD5000 cameras.

The cameras, deployed by the university’s Mass Media’s TV and Film program –a department of the Holland College of Arts and Media, will be used for studio and remote video acquisition.

Students in the department produce content that’s broadcast as SETV on the local CBS/CW and Fox affiliates. They also work as crew members to produce and stream more than 100 OVC sporting events annually involving the Southeast Missouri Redhawks every year on ESPN+.

“When the OVC made it a requirement to stream sporting events, each school received a production pack with starter-level equipment including cameras,” explained Dr. Jim Dufek, professor, operations manager and SETV director in the department of Mass Media at Southeast Missouri State University. “After running into a variety of problems and limitations with it, we elected to purchase our own equipment that we could use for the Mass Media program as well as OVC sports coverage.”

Working with St. Louis-based reseller Modern Communications, the university selected the Hitachi cameras “based on their quality, affordability and reputation,” said Dufek. The cameras match the local CBS affiliate’s studio cameras, which allows the university to produce programs with the same quality as the broadcaster and to give students experience to make an easy transition to the station, he added.

The cameras are mounted on Vinten pedestals in the studio and Libec tripods in the field. They are used with Marshall monitors and a NewTek TriCaster production switcher and graphics system.

More information is available on the Hitachi website.

BRISTOL, CONN.–ESPN will launch ESPN+, a new subscription streaming service April 12, offering live sports, original content, exclusive studio programs and a library of on-demand programming direct to consumers for $4.99 per month, the sports network announced this week.

“With ESPN+, fans have access to thousands more live games, world class original programs and on-demand sports content, all at a great price,” said ESPN President and Co-Chair, Disney Media Networks James Pitaro. “They will get all of that as a part of a completely re-imagined, increasingly personalized ESPN App that provides easy, one-stop access to everything ESPN offers.”

The new service has been created in partnership with Disney Direct-to-Consumer and International, the multiplatform media, technology and distribution organization for content created by Disney’s Media Networks and Studio Entertainment groups. It will be integrated into a redesigned ESPN App and made available via ESPN.com, the sports network said.

ESPN+, the first direct-to-consumer service from Disney Direct-to-Consumer and International, will be powered by BAMTECH, a unit of Disney Direct-to-Consumer and International.

Another direct-to-consumer subscription service will launch in late 2019 to deliver Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm movies on-demand as well as exclusive hosted content. It too will be powered by BAMTECH.

{Read: Disney, BAMTech Will Launch ESPN Streaming Service]

ESPN+ is only one part of the newly launched ESPN App. The app also includes scores, news and highlights, TV Everywhere video authenticated live streaming of ESPN’s eight U.S. networks and ESPN audio, both live and on demand.

Live ESPN+ content will include:

· More than 180 MLB games: One per day throughout the season

· More than 180 NHL games: Game of the day all season long;

· Year-round boxing, including a selection of exclusive main event fights;

· More than 250 MLS games, and

· Thousands of college sports games and events.

“The launch of ESPN+ marks the beginning of an exciting new era of innovation for our media businesses—one defined by an increasingly direct and personal relationship with consumers,” said Kevin Mayer, chairman, Direct-to-Consumer and International, The Walt Disney Company.

BURBANK, CALIF.—Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Iger said the highly anticipated direct-to-consumer streaming product, ESPN Plus will launch in the Spring and will cost $4.99 a month.

Speaking on Disney’s earnings call Tuesday, Iger said ESPN Plus will be available via a new reconceived ESPN app.

ESPN Plus will give subscribers access to thousands of more games and more leagues, including Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, Major League Soccer, college sports, grand slam tennis, rugby, cricket and boxing.

Subscribers will also have access to ESPN films—including the 30 for 30 franchise—and additional original sports programming.

Iger said the ESPN app will deliver “important new experiences and services” and that “the changes will be dramatic.” It will feature an intuitive interface, improved sound quality and a personalized experience that will take explicit choices and implied behavior to tailor it to the taste of the user.

The app will provide “countless scores and highlights,” as well as access to live streams of ESPN networks for people who subscribe to multichannel pay-TV packages.

Iger said Disney will be investing to add more games and more sports programming, as well as greater personalization to ESPN Plus in the years ahead.

The new app could help take the focus on ESPN business from its declining sub base in traditional TV to its new streaming model.

"So it's a three-in-one, completely new experience, new technology and it will basically enable people to access ESPN just about any way imaginable," Iger said. "And we're not only excited about it, but, if anything, points to what the future of ESPN looks like, it'll be this app and the experience that it provides."

The separate Disney branded streaming product is scheduled to launch in late 2019, Iger said.

Both streaming direct-to-consumer products will be powered by BAMTech.

This story originally appeared on TVT's sister publication B&C. 

BURBANK, CALIF.—The plan is coming together for The Walt Disney Company’s pair of upcoming streaming services. In a company’s earning call on Thursday, Nov. 9, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced that the future sports streaming service from the company would be called ESPN Plus and is expected to launch in the spring of 2018; pricing will be disclosed next year. Iger also announced that the Disney branded streaming service is developing original content that will be based on “Star Wars,” “Monsters Inc.,” “High School Musical” and Marvel.

The full story is available on TVT’s sister publication B&C.